


25 Days of Christmas at Avengers Tower

by AgentFrostbite



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: (Christmas lights are MY second favorite thing about Christmas), (I love my adorable dorks so much), (fight me on this), (the author ALSO has QUESTIONS about what Grandma knows), Anything you can do I can do better, Artist Steve Rogers, Baking non-antics, Characters to be added as chapters are added - Freeform, Christmas, Christmas photos are always tough, Christmas traditions, Clint has questions about why bakers who can bake gingerbread are eating subpar gingerbread, Correction: ALL of this is likely to be late, Cowboys getting spoiled, EXTREMELY short stories, Eggnog is a...drink, Every kids wants to be Kevin McCallister, Everyone does this and we all know it, F/M, Family Christmas dinner, Family Fluff, Family antics, Frenzy and Rumble are Really Old Kids, Holidays, I am cliche and so is singing and dancing to duet songs, I'm trying to do a holiday thing, Melissa could knock the socks of a crowd with her violin/fiddle, Melissa does not do so great with performing for crowds tho, Morgan is a Sweetheart, Morgan is a genius, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov is a Good Mommy, OCs Abound, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Parts of this are likely to be late, Predaking does NOT get humans or their traditions, Ravage is low-key crazy and always Down for Revenge, Ripclaw likes being a teacher, Ripclaw likes being in love, Rockefeller center, Stark Family Fluff, Strike Team Antics, Strike Team Telepathy, Team as Family, The Terror Twins live up to their name, The Terror Twins tempt fate, The Thunderbolts are all Avengers now, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Thunderbolts - Freeform, Tony Stark plays the piano, Tony has QUESTIONS about what Grandma knows, Tough girl being fluffy and cute, Trees taller than the scariest ex-Decepticon, Wanda does decorating, Wanda is VERY GOOD at decorating, We Don't Waste Flour In This Tower, all the happy endings, but that won't stop me or Jan or Hank, christmas light competition, couples fluff, family photos, ornament making
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 9,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21640768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentFrostbite/pseuds/AgentFrostbite
Summary: Short snapshots of life at Avengers Tower around the holidays. Featuring fluff, hot cocoa, snowball fights, Christmas lights, and all the warm, fuzzy feelings of the season!
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Hank Pym/Janet Van Dyne, James "Bucky" Barnes/Lidiya Tabikova, James "Bucky" Barnes/OC, Megatron/Lyra, Megatron/OC, Nikki Skylar/Josh Walker, OC/OC, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Predaking/Ripclaw
Kudos: 17





	1. Snow Day

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, y'all!! Gosh, I am SO PUMPED for the season! I'm talking lights, music, cookies, sappy Hallmark movies, the whole shebang! And all this holiday cheer got me thinking about how everyone in the world in my head would be around Christmas. I know I'm not good at full-length stories, or regular short story uploads, so I decided that scene snippets would be the way to go. I'll do my best to keep up to date with each day till Christmas, and I'll likely fall out of step till about the middle of the month, when college classes let out and writing isn't fighting with homework.
> 
> I will TOTALLY take headcanons, requests, ideas, etc, and will be as prompt as possible when answering questions about "Who is this random dude? Why is this weird chick in here and why should I care about her? What the heck are Transformers/Cybertronians doing in Avengers Tower?" and other things of that nature.
> 
> Huge thanks to @avengersfictionxreader on Tumblr for writing some of these prompts!
> 
> Enjoy the Christmas chaos!

"C'mon, Uncle Clint!" the brunette 10 year old begged as she dragged her uncle toward the double glass doors that separated the toasty Tower interior from the frigid New York weather. He chuckled and stopped at the rack to grab his coat. Steve Rogers' youngest, incredibly eager to be in the snow, was already bundled up in full winter gear and very impatient.

"I'm comin," he promised, zipping the coat up. "Give an old man some time to move."

"You're not old," she accused. "You're only 37, and Mum says that you don't qualify as old until you're 70, or something." She put her hands on her hips. He copied the movement and mimicked her sassy expression, sending her into a fit of giggles. With the point in his favor, Leah switched tactics. "Come play in the snow with me! Please, please, _please_?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he said. She shrieked in delight and bolted for the door, throwing it open and dashing out along the sidewalk. He followed, closing the door behind him, leaving footprints in the snow.


	2. Early Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Presents galore, and none shall be touched till X-Mas, lest you suffer the Christmas Warrior's wrath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT LIVES
> 
> I survived Finals, but I have NOT really survived writer's block I've got four days written up (in total - like, INCLUDING these two) and ideas for four more which I'm wrestling with my muse to get onto "paper". 
> 
> (TBH, I'm happy I'm posting something, I count that as a win.)
> 
> As always, the suggestions box is wide open, in case there's something anyone wants to see, thanks for reading, and have a happy holiday season!

"Ooh, presents!" Clint exclaimed as he and Hank Pym watched Janet van Dyne shuffled through the hallway, carrying several weighty boxes stacked so high that she had to look around the side to not run into things.

"Uh, honey?" Hank asked from where he day on the couch, reading a colleague's paper. "You want some help with that?"

"Nope!" she exclaimed. "I totally got this!"

"Yeah, she's the Christmas Warrior," Clint added. She blushed slightly and shot him a 'I'd think you'd know better by now' look, but didn't say anything to contradict him. It'd been almost a decade since the fabled "Broadway Tree Chase" in which she ran off a bunch of HYDRA ne'er-do-wells from attacking the Rockefeller Tree, armed with nothing but a hairbrush and many shrill accusations.

"Are you saying that because some of those are mine?" Hank asked again, curiosity compelling him to step closer.

"Yes," she answered, readjusting her grip on the load. "But also because I am perfectly capable of bringing some presents to my wrapping station all by myself. I am a big girl, after all." She did, however, press a quick kiss to his nose before resuming her journey.

A few hours later, the first of the army of presents that would clutter beneath the largest tree in the Tower were placed under the twinkling lights. It was a few minutes past midnight when Hank snuck out to the tree and looked at the presents. He shook one of the delicately, careful not to accidentally damage the contents. He tried to see if he could peel back the expert wrapping job just a little, and her voice rang out loudly for such a late time.

"Don't open those till later!"

He jumped and dashed back to the cover of the shadows. The next day, she continued to shoot pointed looks at him until he apologized. "Got you too, huh?" Tony asked.

"At least he didn't try to _rip the paper off_ ," she answered for Hank, sending a wave of rippling laughs through the breakfast table.

"I am a shameless present sneak," Tony remarked, stuffing waffles in his mouth.

"Don't I know it!" Pepper exclaimed.


	3. Mini, Edible Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hot cocoa is a wonderful thing, doubly so when it's from your boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M MAKING AN EFFORT
> 
> I know I've done ZERO explanation for them, but they're cute, and they're in the pairings list, so I decided "What the heck?" and just threw this in. I hope y'all like it, and pls let me know if I did good with the fluff!

"Want come cocoa?" Josh asked as Nikki closed the door, stomping her snow-crusted boots on the thick welcome mat before slipping them off.

"Yes, please," she responded emphatically, shedding her coat like an old skin and hanging it on the hook. The old but well-kept Walker family home was as inviting as any she'd been in, with its warm fires and cheery décor, but the fact that it was _his_ home made it light-years better than any other place she was prone to crash when being caught in a snowstorm.

Josh handed her the mug, and once he was sure she had it clasped securely, he pulled her in by her shoulders, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. She laughed and leaned on him for a moment before the shrill call of a timer dragged him back between the kitchen island and long countertop. He checked whatever was in the oven, explaining, "The Walkers have a holiday tradition of cooking lots of stuff before Christmas dinner so we can pick what we want to serve this year. The kids stay on a rotating duty of ensuring stuff doesn't burn."

Nikki took a seat at one of the stools pulled up to the granite island and set her mug on it. "Makes sense." She looked at her cup and smiled even brighter. "Aw, you remembered the marshmallows!"

"Most people don't call them mini, edible clouds," he replied. "It makes it easy to remember." He tossed a quick, blindingly bright smile over his shoulder. "'Course, I never forget any of your preferences."

"You spoil me," Nikki remarked, suppressing the bubbling, joyous laugh that wanted to break free at that smile.

"Every day for the rest of my life," he answered unwaveringly.


	4. Trailing Tinsel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cats love tinsel. Alien cats are no exception. And where there's an alien cat who loves tinsel, there's probably a couple of his trouble-making brothers ready to take advantage of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi  
> I have nothing to say for myself
> 
> This, uh...was supposed to go way different. I'm as upset as y'all about how late this is. If it helps, I spent the entire day writing out everything and I will post all of it up till today and then post on the correct schedule. So...yeah.
> 
> Please enjoy more snippets of craziness form Avengers Tower regarding holiday season shenanigans!

" _Nikki_!" Nikki Skylar sighed and paused The Nutcracker, then sunk into the couch a little further. It was so warm, and she didn't want to get up to deal with whatever trouble the twins were stirring up. A dull thudding noise and a pair of matching happy yelps pulled her to her feet with a groan. "Nikki, they're ripping up the carpet!" Knock Out shouted. "And they just almost offlined me!"

"They did not…" she muttered, walking toward the doors. She laid a hand on the handle, and Frenzy and Rumble dashed in, throwing the left one open. Nikki took a startled step back, almost tripping over her feet.

"Sorry!" Frenzy tossed carelessly over his shoulder. Rumble laughed. A moment later, Ravage bolted in after them, saying nothing, optics wide with the singular focus that he only used when he was hunting shiny things. Like, say, the string of tinsel Rumble was pulling behind him.

Nikki watched the chaos go on for a while, planning how she might put a stop to it, wondering if it would be worthwhile to do it, and arriving at the slightly rueful conclusion that she wouldn't be able to stop the nightmare herself. And if she couldn't stop it, then in the spirit of the season, she could let them have their fun till someone who carried more weight in these situations did.

"Boys!" Nikki chided, smiling fondly, putting her hands on her hips. The smile vanished after one of their roundabouts of the couch ran Rumble into a chair and took Ravage over the back of the couch, claws ripping up the couch back. "Guys, if you're gonna torture your brother, can you not do it around the furniture? Pepper will kill us if she's got to replace all of it!"

Actually, looking at the state of the couch, Nikki was getting nervous about explaining it to Pepper already.

They didn't answer verbally, but directed their chase back to the hallway. "Don't smash into any side tables or run over anyone!" she warned as they dashed out. She received a chorus of 'Yes ma'am's from down the hallway, followed by indignant shouting. Knock Out stormed in, throwing the door closed behind him. They both winced at the slam, waiting for the scolding that didn't come. After a few minutes of silence and false safety, they breathed a sigh of relief, and Knock Out went back to the present crisis.

"You're going to just let them run around like maniacs?!"

Nikki poured herself a cup of hot chocolate – not coffee, for once – and retook her seat on the couch. "Here's how I see it. I can let them go nuts for once, maybe twice, and after that, they'll either stop doing it or get yelled about by Soundwave, 'cause this _technically_ falls under family issues."

"This is what you're depending on?" Knock Out asked flatly, staring almost uncomprehendingly at her. She held the remote up, then looked back dramatically.

"That, or you and Starscream annoying Soundwave enough that he puts an end to it sooner. Merry Christmas. You wanna watch The Nutcracker?" She looked back to the TV and hit play. Knock Out, meanwhile, thought long and hard about it, and came to the conclusion that Starscream wouldn’t stand for any shenanigans. That meant it wasn't his responsibility. He shrugged and joined Nikki on the couch.

"Those outfits are-"

"Ballet, and that's all."


	5. International Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most frequent international travelers gather and share what they know about Christmas in other countries.

**All traditions pulled from this site:<https://www.holidayextras.co.uk/travel-blog/wanderlust/unusual-christmas-traditions.html>**

"Clint, it's the middle of December. Board shorts belong on the holodeck in December," Natasha deadpanned at her husband's festive out-of-season attire.

"And sand snowmen aren't valid," Bucky added with a smirk. Clint sputtered, looking at the short and then up at Bucky.

"Excuse me? The guy who had cheap tin trees covered in soap powder snow and pitched all his _antique_ German ornaments wants to talk to me about the validity of snowmen from Florida?" Clint argued, crossing his arms.

Bucky pointed with his silver finger, the Christmas tree lights reflected in the bands and bends. "This has nothing to do with Floridians and their snowless traditions. It's got everything to do with the material. _Sandmen_ are not a valid thing where you can make _proper_ snowmen."

"Mister Sandman, bum bum bum, bring me a dream…" Clint sang. Natasha snorted as he plopped onto the couch beside him. Bucky just rolled his eyes.

"Sandmen are definitely not the strangest Christmas tradition I know about," Natasha remarked. "In Caracas, kids roller skate to Christmas Eve mass."

"Okay, that's not weird, that's awesome," Clint said, closing his eyes and holding his finger up, acting like an intellectual. His air of brilliance was promptly shattered by Natasha's pillow thwapping him in the face. "Hey!"

"I didn't say weird, I said strange," Natasha corrected.

"Your tone said weird," he protested, slumping back in the seat and crossing his arms with a slight pout.

"Seconded," Lidiya Tabakova chimed in as she entered from the kitchen hallway, balancing four cups of hot cocoa on a platter in one hand, and carrying an excessively fluffy sweater in the other. She let the group of semi-ex-assassins grab their mugs before taking hers and placing it on the table. She wrapped the sweater around herself and sat on the couch in rather odd-looking bundle of thick pine green. She frowned slightly as it occurred to her she'd have to leave her cocoon to retrieve the cocoa.

"May I?" Bucky asked, not waiting for the answer as he grabbed her cocoa and handed it to her. "I once spent a Christmas in Japan, and there's not much Christmas celebrating there, but KFC is booming on Christmas Eve."

"What's KFC?" Lidiya asked.

"Kentucky Fried Chicken," Clint answered. "Never liked it. They have KFC in Japan?"

"Yep," Bucky confirmed.

Clint grinned. "Did you eat there?"

"Not on your life!"

"I remember a lovely tradition from Ukraine," Lidiya remarked, holding the mug just below her chin. "There's a story about a widowed mother who couldn't afford Christmas ornaments for her kids, so the spiders that lived in her house weaved silvery webs for her tree. I always liked that one." She smiled, but didn't notice how Bucky was smiling at her.

"The Maximoff twins celebrate that one, too," Natasha added. "They're gonna decorate a little tree for the space between their doors. You could ask if they'd let you join – I'm sure they will."

"Спасибо[1]," Lidiya replied, sipping her cocoa and wincing. "Слишком жарко[2]." Natasha chuckled and sipped hers. "How?" Lidiya asked.

"She killed her tastebuds," Clint half-joked, receiving another pillow to the face amidst unrepentant chuckles. Bucky's eyes suddenly lit up.

"You guys. I just remembered," he said, leaning up with gleeful anticipation.

"What?" the others chorused.

"The Yule Cat of Iceland."

* * *

"Barnes!" Nikki shouted.

"What'cha looking for Bucky about?" Steve asked, shuffling out of his and Peggy's room in a rather comical set of Captain America PJs. Nikki gave him an appraising look and decided not to broach the subject.

"Aside from the fact that your grammar was so not correct, I'm pretty sure he's the reason Ravage is stalking the twins – _my_ twins – and threatening to eat them. He's been talking in I-don't-know-what all day and will only say "Naughty workers get eaten" in English. I'm at a loss, and Nat says I should ask Bucky, so…" She crossed his arms. "I'll leave you and Peggy outta this if you just tell me where he's holed himself up."

"I've been in my room all day, painting," Steve answered, turning his arms over so Nikki could see the paint spatters. "Sorry."

"Nikki!" Frenzy shouted.

"Naughty workers get eaten…" Ravage muttered. Frenzy and Rumble hid behind Nikki as their brother rounded the corner. Upon seeing Nikki, Ravage sat straight up and his ruby optics gleamed.

"…actually, I think I know what that is," Steve remarked regretfully. "By chance, what he's saying – the other language – it wouldn't be Icelandic, would it?"

**Russian bits: Thanks. Too hot.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1Thanks.[return to text]
> 
> 2Too hot. [return to text]


	6. Sugarplum Fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red Room ruins ballet for Natasha, but one of the Red Room's would-be victims might save a piece of it for her.

Ballet held few happy memories for Natasha. It wasn't an art, it was training. Girls balancing on knives and spinning pirouettes with poison needles in their ballet buns. Trainers who tested jump heights with bullets, turning the artistic displays into life or death. She hated it with a passion. She barely even looked at any ballet, let alone practiced it.

Alina was old enough that she'd started working with that, too. She was nervous around the tutus and the music, and any room with a mirror wall warded her off. But Viktoriya was still young, still enthralled with the graceful movements and whimsical music. There was nothing she loved more than The Nutcracker, and Natasha looked exactly like the Sugarplum Fairy.

So Natasha slipped into the only ballet outfit she felt comfortable wearing, cued up the music, and danced for the little girl sitting on a bench, watching with wide eyes. Every pirouette, plié, and pointe was tracked with eager eyes that soaked up the scene. Tori weaved side to side with Natasha's movements, and Natasha let the music and the fantasy consume her. Even Clint, used to seeing her perform on missions and on those rare, private occasions, was enthralled.

The music ended, Natasha held the last position, and three rounds of applause filled the air. "Again, Mama, again!" Tori cried happily. Ali and Clint grinned knowingly, supportive if Natasha wanted to stop, but just as eager to watch the whole routine again. It wasn't what it could ever be, but they made it feel safe.

"JARVIS, cue up the music," Natasha called, returning to the first position.


	7. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are few couples' traditions so cliche, and yet so fun, as singing duets with your other half.

Anyone who knew Janet van Dyne knew she made a big deal of holidays. Christmas was, by far, her favorite. There were so many facets, so many things she could do, and only a month in which to revel in them. She packed as much holiday spirit in as she could, which meant she was humming Christmas songs almost all day.

It also meant that choruses or duets were common, as other Avengers heard songs they loved and joined along. Hank Pym was no exception, though he didn't do it as often as many of the others did, since he was a bit more reserved. Love duets were their favorite, and nearly every time they ended up in a room alone together, she'd start humming a duet, he'd join in, and the resulting number could be – and in some odd cases, was – part of a Christmas musical.

Their favorite was "Baby, It's Cold Outside." They knew it by heart, and it was one of those rare songs that anyone could sing and made sound good, which was an advantage, since Hank couldn't sing well. It didn't matter to Jan how he sounded. All she cared about was that they were singing together and enjoying themselves.

So she flung herself over couches and tables, Hank kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, and they kept their hands linked as they poured wordless 'I love you's into the song. JARVIS recorded everything, it ended up on someone's phone, and all the other Avengers had a round of 'Aww's at the couple indulging in a much-loved tradition.


	8. Not-Dull Ice Knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ripclaw is more human that Predacon with regards to mindset, traditions, and what she considers necessary. Predaking is trying to learn, but only because he's not in the habit of leaving one of his people behind.

"I still do not understand the purpose of this activity," Predaking half-growled as Ripclaw stepped off the solid ground and onto the slick, frozen surface. They were in holoform once again as she tried to teach him about human customs, traditions, and other things to be done around Christmas. "I have it on reliable authority that attemtping to cross this… _ice_ is hazardous."

"It can be, yes," Ripclaw admitted as she quickly readjusted to gliding across the slick surface. She was, by no means, a thin woman, but the ease with which she did laps across the frozen floor made it appear as though she was lighter than she was. After her third or fourth lap alone, she returned to the entrance onto the rink and stopped in front of Predaking, still scowling at the skates and the ice for which they were intended. "Are you coming?"

"Preferably, no," he snapped. "It is ridiculous, frivolous, and unnecessary. Besides, the temperature of this room is below optimal levels."

Ripclaw paused, blinked, and then _smiled_ in a way that any human might describe as 'the cat who ate the canary.' "You're cold," she declared. Her apparent delight in the situation did little to soothe Predaking's bruised ego.

"Cold is not an actual temperature state. It is merely the absence of heat."

"All right, then. You can go; I'm staying for a bit longer," she remarked innocently. She skated off at speed, secretly proud she didn't fall over, and left him there to lament over his impossible situation. She knew he'd come onto the ice out of a 'sense of duty toward protection of his kind,' which they both knew simply meant that he was still coming to terms with the fact that the noble Predacon king had fallen in love with the oddest member of his species.

And so he did, sliding out onto the ice and clinging to the wall for dear life as Ripclaw slammed into the wall beside him. He gave her a side-eye glance. "I haven't learned how to stop properly yet," she offered as a simple explanation.

"Just…get me through however many times around this absurd arena that I must suffer through to please you," he gritted out. Ripclaw gently took his hand and they both ignored their blushes.

"Watch my feet carefully."


	9. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Terror Twins get latched onto traditions, it's not a great idea to mess with them.

"Of all the holiday things you could've latched onto-" Starscream started. He was immediately shushed by Frenzy and Rumble, positioned directly in front of the TV and eagerly awaiting the start of the Christmas special. Starscream huffed frustratedly and crossed his arms. Nikki, walking in with a bowl of chocolate-drizzled popcorn, chuckled fondly.

She set the bowl down, then signed to him, "They're not running around like crazy people. Let them have this." He rolled his optics, but said nothing else. The opening notes came through the speakers, and the twins edges closer to the TV.

"That's not a good angle for viewing-" Laserbeak pointed out. He was summarily shushed. Buzzsaw huffed in amusement. The birds exchanged a conversation without words – likely over the family bond or comlink – and Nikki split her attention between the show and the rest of the Strike Team. Laserbeak flew and landed next to Nikki, then whispered, "How much trouble would Buzz and I be in if we cut the power as Charlie Brown kills the tree?"

"I'd slap you myself," she whispered back with a pointed look. He smirked and flew back to his sister. Nikki shot a long-suffering look at Soundwave, who returned it with a more tired one. Megatron caught the 'conversation' and added 'We could always watch it however many times needed till we get through it nicely' with crossed arms and quirked eyebrows. Knock Out cringed at the suggestion, and Starscream shot Nikki an 'I will execute mutiny if that happens' glare. Skywarp had an 'I'd look to see that happen!' gleeful sort of look, and Thundercracker buried his face in a pillow so he didn't need to see any of it. Ripclaw simply rolled her eyes.

"Shush!" Rumble suddenly exclaimed.

"We can hear you not-talking. Seriously, zip it and enjoy the show," Frenzy added.

"Minicons…" Starscream muttered.


	10. Angels we Have Heard on High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony doesn't do it often, but he can play piano, and Morgan thinks it's the COOLEST thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I KNOW I should have Peter here, and yes, I know I don't I am all for Iron!Dad and Spider-son, I just couldn't work it in here in a smooth way. I'll write a Iron!Dad and Spider-son fic to make up for it, I promise.
> 
> Dedicated to my little sister and our mom, who sang this as a lullaby. I love you guys so much!!

It wasn't often that Tony felt the want or need to play piano. His mother had insisted he take lessons when he was younger, and time gave him the hindsight to realize she just wanted to spend time with him doing something they could both participate in. He appreciated them, and he played often enough that the skills never got too rusty, but by and large, the grand piano that adorned the 33rd floor lobby went unused.

Of course, once Morgan and Kate found out their dad could play piano well, they begged and pleaded - and, in Kate's case, blackmailed - once or twice every couple weeks for him to play something. Having a superhero inventor father was great, but he could _play piano_ , and that was awesome. Both Tony and Pepper found it endearing.

"What are we playing today, munchkin?" Tony asked. Since Kate had chosen last time - which was the nice way of saying that Kate picked what Morgan begged her to - Morgan got to pick the song. Next time, it'd be Pepper's turn.

"Angels we've Heard on High!" she exclaimed, standing on one of the chairs near the piano.

"Chairs aren't for standing, Morgan," Pepper gently reminded for the trillionth time.

"You do it when you're reaching for something high," she defended herself. Kate shrugged in support.

"Are you reaching for something high right now?" Pepper asked. Morgan frowned and plopped down onto the chair, but her face cleared when Pepper sat next to Tony. Kate smiled as well, and pulled her little sister into her lap, and Morgan gave in to a fit of giggles.

"We can build a chair fort later," Kate placated. Pepper raised her eyebrows, and Kate smiled as sweetly as she could.

To warm up, Tony played a rather upbeat song that had nothing to do with Christmas, and flashed a roguish grin as his fingers danced across the keys to the jazzy tune. "Show off…" Pepper murmured fondly. Tony pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. 

He played the first notes, and Pepper began to sing. "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains…"


	11. Eggnog Taste Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the beverage that only comes around one time of year, and the panel of vict- er, _testers_ get to decide which eggnog is the one to be distributed.

"All right, hush up!" Nikki shouted over the chatter. (Steve, Tony, Jan, Hank, Clint, Natasha, Pietro, Wanda, Bruce)

"C'mon, I got a meeting I need to get to," Hank half-whined.

Nikki quirked an eyebrow at him. "You're not required to be here, y'know," she pointed out.

"I am if I want a say in what we make for the rest of the month," he countered. Nikki shrugged in agreement.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road" Nikki announced. "First up! Jan's eggnog."

"Get the winner out of the way," Jan said with a playful smirk.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, also playful, though slightly annoyed at being counted out of the running by the reigning Christmas queen. Steve, Tony, Hank, Jan, Clint, Natasha, Pietro, Wanda, and Bruce all raised the shot glasses filled with eggnog and downed it in one go. There were many nods afterwards, a few licked lips, and one archer who tried to stick his tongue down the glass to pick up any extra drops.

"Perfect as always, Jan," Bruce complemented.

"Yeah, this is really good," Steve agreed. Jan smiled and blushed slightly, and the Avengers slid the glasses down the bar and to a gathering spot out of the way. It looked a little like a musical number.

"Jan's at 1," Niki said, to no-one surprise, and jotted it down on the clipboard she was holding. She clicked her pen closed. "Next is Pietro's eggnog."

"Now I'm scared," Clint remarked.

"I'm here to win, not sabotage everyone else," Pietro answered. Glasses went up, rims went down, and interestingly enough, there was no gagging or coughing or other general unpleasantness.

"That's…actually pretty good," Tony admitted.

"Agreed." Natasha continued nodded, almost contemplatively, before looking to Pietro. "I'm impressed."

"Good job, Pietro," Wanda congratulated. He accepted it with a rather humble nod.

"Jan or Pietro?" Nikki asked, pen at the ready.

"Still say Jan," Hank answered. The Avengers all agreed, and Pietro didn't look terribly upset.

Nikki finished scribbling and looked at the group. "Third up, Tony's eggnog."

"I'll bet five that there's whiskey in it," Clint half-shouted, pulling a five and slamming it on the bar. Natasha rolled her eyes and Jan chuckled.

"If there's not, I'm gonna be disappointed," Steve said with a head tilt as he picked up the glass.

Tony looked down the bar with his typical troublemaking smirk. "Oh, I thought Captain America was a perfect 40's guy and didn't drink."

"Tony, there are three things you are required to love to be an American." Steve put the glass back down and held his hand up to count things off his fingers. "You gotta love pie, baseball, and BBQs, and two of those activities involve alcohol." Tony had no rebuttal for that, and as soon as the rest of the group realized it, they pounced.

"Silenced!" Jan exclaimed over the chuckles and good-natured elbows. Tony was still nodding and still not finding anything suitable to snap back with.

"Hush and tip it back," Wanda cut in, bringing the glass up. Unlike Pietro's, Tony's eggnog was met with some head shakes. "Nope. Too sweet."

"Sorry, Tony, I gotta agree," Jan added.

"This contest is rigged," Tony protested, with too wide a grin to be serious, as he slid his glass down the line.

"Believe what you want, dude," Clint replied. "Maybe if you added a candy cane-"

"Vetoed," Tony cut him off. There were more chuckles.

"And lastly, Natasha's eggnog."

"Oh, this'll be good," Bruce remarked.

"If it's not, I might have to send Krampus after you," Natasha threatened. It would've been more intimidating if her scarlet red lips weren't turned upward in a typical 'I'm enjoying myself, but I still have to be classy and mysterious' Black Widow smile.

"That's a German thing! That's not Russian!" Clint protested loudly.

"Does it have to be?" she shot back.

"That's a loaded question; don't answer that," Nikki warned, not looking up form her clipboard to add to the aesthetic of her judge position.

"Bottoms up!" Tony shouted.

"That's also good," Hank said.

"Yeah, not bad," Bruce agreed.

"I liked Pietro's better," Clint muttered into his glass. Fast as a flash, Natasha whipped out a pillow and slammed it into Clint's back. "Ow!" he whined, dropping the glass – but, thankfully, not breaking it – and rubbing the back of his head.

"You totally planned that," Tony half-accused, using his emptied shot glass to point at Natasha.

She only gave that Black Widow grin. "Maybe."


	12. 75 Feet of Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron isn't as festive as some of the other Tower residents, but there are some holiday things that simply must be experienced.

"I thought you hated crowds," Lyra remarked as she and Megatron – in holoform – walked arm in arm down the busy streets of New York.

"I do, but I agree with Nikki on one crucial tourist point – everyone should see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at least once," he answered. They weaved between a group of other tourists.

"I heard Moonracer say it's twice as tall as you," she said, mirth filling her voice, "and insisted that she wasn't exaggerating."

"Oh, she's not. 75 feet of green and gold and ornaments as big as Nikki," he replied.

"No!" He simply kept smile as she stared at him, and then burst out laughing. "There's no way!"

He said nothing for a few steps, and then amended with, "The angel, at least, is _definitely_ as tall as her."

"Five feet?"

"Probably more."

"Where do they find trees that big?" she asked as they crossed the bustling streets. A short distance away, a car horn blared, followed by some indiscernible shouting in that iconic New Yorker accent.

He paused a moment, looking across the internet in a quick search. "I have no idea," he finally answered, causing Lyra to laugh again. He smiled, completely at ease. He watched her expression as they rounded the corner, and she stopped in her tracks at seeing the looming testament to the holidays standing at the far end of the way.

"No." That was all she seemed able to say. Megatron, for once, decided not to playfully tease, and instead simply took in her reaction. "That's… That can't be real."

"It is," he confirmed.

They approached it and with every increment of ten feet, her neck craned a little more to see the very top of the gargantuan tree. The sound of skates sliding against ice and a shout of surprise as someone went from their feet to their bum drew her attention from the spectacular sight. "That sounds like an ice skating rink," she said, turning to him. He simply grinned.

"Welcome to the Rockefeller Center."


	13. A Million Mini Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jan is a sweet, loving, Christmassy woman. Jan is also not willing to brook arguments about who has the best Christmas lights display.

"You know I love you, right?" Hank started, carefully approaching the box from which a long string of lights emanated. The string went up, up, toward the ceiling and seemed to be hanging itself. Hank knew better, and even though he couldn't see her, he could imagine what Jan looked like, holding the other end of the lights.

"I should hope so," she replied. "You did marry me."

"Then – remembering that I say this out of love – I have to tell you that this?" He gestured to the rest of the room, where half-finished displays of lights tangled and twirled, decorating the walls with their dull green wires. "This isn't ridiculous."

"Thank y-" she started.

"It's _way_ beyond stupid," he finished.

She hung the end she was going for, then flew down to him and returned to her normal size. She was decked out in her typical Santa dress and hat, complete with fuzzy boots, and despite looking two steps above 'human candy cane,' she pulled off a formidable glare. "You get competitive, too," she defended.

"But I don't try to dress the observatory in a million lights," he countered, crossing his arms.

"It's only about 200,000, and the room is so big, and the lights are so spread out, that it doesn't look crowded. Or, at least, it won't when I'm done with it," she remarked, looking up and around and continuing to plan her display.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked. Jan walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders, staring him right in the face.

"I love Wanda. She is one of the sweetest, kindest, warmest people I know. She's a wizard at holiday decorating, and she's got almost as much Christmas joy as I do. But I won't be outdone with regards to my lights. I love her, but this is Christmas war." All of this was delivered with such a straight and earnest expression that Hank saw no hope for winning the argument and simply relaxed.

"Fin, but you're explaining to Tony why you've blown out the Tower's fuses." He pressed a kiss to her lips and walked past her, toward the door.

"Oh, he's helping with that!" she called from behind him.

Hank felt like Charlie Brown, and he stopped and looked toward the ceiling. "Good grief!"


	14. Better than Cardboard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gingerbread houses are also tradition, even if people don't actually eat anything but the decorations off the side.

"We never eat anything but the decorations, so why don't we just eat them down and get it over with?" Clint whined as he stared at the gingerbread house supplies. Jan was currently assembling the house with the packets of icing the kit came with. She finished 'gluing' together the walls and held them in place with her hands as she looked up at him.

"Because the houses look pretty!" she exclaimed, with all the infectious happiness of a naïve six-year-old. "Besides, I might eat them." She shrugged and looked back at the house. She wouldn't eat them. Everyone knew no-one would eat them. She just felt the need to justify spending 10 dollars to buy and build the same not-so-great kits year after year.

Clint saw straight through her guilt, and sat up tall, deadpanning, "Jan, they're cardboard. They _literally_ taste like cardboard. I have _eaten_ cardboard, so I'm an authority on the subject. Not to mention, you actually make a killer gingerbread cookie and don't need to stoop to this low level."

"It's the experience, Clint," she said, a note of exasperation creeping into her tone.

"You can _experience_ it by buying the décor and making your down gingerbread," he countered, throwing his hand sup in frustration. Jan paused, staring at the corner of the house for just long enough that he started getting worried about potential retribution.

"…sweet candy canes, you're right," she whispered.

"I'm-" His mind registered what she'd said and stalled out for a moment. "What?"

"You're the best, Clint!" She let go of the house, bounded to her feet, pressed a quick peck to his cheek, and then flew off to the kitchen. A few moments later, while Clint.exe continued to clock, the house fell over.

"What just happened?" he asked quietly. He received no answer.


	15. Bakers Don't Throw Flour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my sister, who is a baker, and who yelled at Hallmark for flour fight scenes.

"Would you, though?" Frenzy asked, leaning on the counter. Ripclaw waved a piece of parchment paper at him, the nice warning to back off.

"No," Jan replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's a total waste of perfectly good flour!" Ripclaw exclaimed, swinging her measuring cup around for emphasis. "Besides, if we really wanted to get into it, we'd use rolling pins."

"The twirly bits at the ends of the mixers," Jan added, pointing to her.

"Probably half-full tubs of frosting. Give it a good chuck, those things go far and they hurt." Ripclaw mimed the movement as she spoke, a wicket gleam in her eyes. Jan nodded in agreement.

"I'd use a baking tray if I was _really_ pissed," Jan threw in. She grabbed an empty one and swing it like a bat. Rumble actually backed off a step.

"What would someone need to do to get you that mad?" he asked, optics darting between the two women as the continued their baking spree.

"Ask that question," Ripclaw deadpanned, staring at him.

"Probably start throwing flour," Jan answered honestly.

"So if I took this…" Frenzy looked around, found his target, and picked it up. "This bag of flour right here, and didn't throw it at you, but absconded with it-"

"Don't even think about it," the women spoke at the same time, glaring at the red troublemaker.


	16. Grandma vs. Rudolph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late nights + eggnog + unconventional Christmas songs = the most mysterious mystery of Christmas for the last four decades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my dad, who posed the question of _why_ Grandma has been run over by a reindeer and how things would go if she ran over her attacker.

"Uh…Tony?" Nikki called to the man hunched over the Christmas mug. A carton of eggnog sat a little distance from him, halfway drained.

"Yeah?" he called back, slurring slightly.

"JARVIS called me up here. He said you'd listened to 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' 50 times." Nikki took a seat next to Tony and they sat in silence for a little. "Enjoying the eggnog?" He didn't answer for the longest time, and when he did speak it wasn't at all what Nikki expected to hear.

"Grandma has been run over by a reindeer for the last 40 years." Nikki straightened and blinked, overtaken by shock. "What could she possibly know that would necessitate her assassination-"

She facepalmed, realizing this wasn't anything going away any time soon. "Oh, geez…"

"-for the last 40 consecutive years." Tony set the glass down and pointed at no particular spot. "And, for that matter, how does she keep coming back? Are- 'Cause it says there's hoofprints on her forehead and that she got run over by the sleigh, and she's _supposed_ to be dead, but every year, she's back just to get run over again." He shook his head.

"I think you need to go to bed now," Nikki cut in, giving him a pat on the back and standing.

"What did she _know_ , Nikki?" He was asking her, but he was staring at the countertop. Nikki shook her head and threw her arms up.

"Maybe she and Mrs. Claus were planning to take over the North Pole or something." As soon as she said it, she regretted it.

"Holy sh-"

She took Tony's hand and started leading him out of the room and toward his suite. "Now, gimme your hand- that's it. And we're gonna walk-"

"I'm not _that_ plastered," he grumbled as he pulled his hand away. "I'm tired, but I'm not invalid."

"You're having existential crises over a 40 year old Christmas song," Nikki clarified. "I'm not worried about you being drunk, I'm worried about you doing something stupid."

Tony affixed a pleading expression on the unwavering woman. "I gotta know."

" _After bed_ ," Nikki held firm. They made it to his door before he spoke again.

"Maybe we can help her fight back." He stared at his doorknob, and Nikki stared at him.

" _What_?" she asked, not sure she'd heard him right, and not really wanting to be proven wrong.

"Give her a car and have her run over Rudolph," he said simply.

Nikki pinched the bridge of her nose. "…I don't even have anything to say to that."


	17. Master Decorator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are few people quite as meticulous as Wanda "Interior Holiday Decorator" Maximoff.

"You're kidding," Thundercracker deadpanned. He'd believe a lot – a _lot_ – but this was just a couple inches too far.

"I'm not! She does everything by hand. Well, except put the star on the top of the tree; that she uses her powers for," Jan replied, waving a hand as though it were no big deal.

"All the garland?"

"Spaced to the inch."

"And the wreaths?"

"Meticulous about color and placing."

"Even the lights?"

"Especially the lights." Jan met each challenge with an ever-widening grin, and broke their conversation to speak to said decorator. "Looking good, Wanda!"

"You sure?" came Wanda's voice, sounding distant because of the height between her ground-bound observers and the woman who was perched atop an obscenely tall ladder. "I think it's a little too far to the right."

"J?" Jan asked, looking toward the ceiling corner. It was some sort of Avengers Tower tradition that JARVIS' voice came from a corner – no specified one – and unless one was doing something that required visual attention, they were to look toward chosen corner to address the AI.

"It is approximately 1.2 inches further right than the center," he dutifully answered. Wanda shifted the wreath that had strings of lights attached to its sides the correct amount. "Perfectly centered."

"Thanks!" Wanda answered as she descended the ladder to move to the next spot.

"That's…amazing," Thundercracker admitted as he watched her come down. "Kinda scary, but amazing."


	18. Sleigh Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nikki's turn to spoil Josh.

It was freezing out. If the little puffs of air didn't give that fact away, the bright moon upon the unbroken snow would've. Josh wouldn't have been in it if not for the fact that he was standing in front of an honest-to-goodness _sleigh_. "Now you're the one spoiling me."

Beside him, Nikki – clad in a borrowed coat that his mother insisted she wear, Nix or not – grinned to outshine the moon. "Well, it _might_ be a little selfish. After all, I've never been on a sleigh ride either."

He just shook his head and approached the sleigh, running a hand along the new wood, and then approaching and petting the two horses tasked with pulling it. "Where'd you get the actual sleigh?" he asked. Bluebell shook and the sound of jingling filled the clear night air. "There's proper jingle bells! Nikki, I…wow."

She laughed and climbed up. He gave the two horses a final pat and climbed in as well. "I called in a couple favors, and I owe your dad, like, a million 'thank you's, but they're all ours from now till 1."

" _And_ I get to stay up past midnight with no nagging questions?" She shrugged, but that smile was still there, and it drowned out almost everything else. "You're a miracle worker."

"Yeah, as long as I don't get us lost," she corrected with a chuckle.

"I'll drive." He looked to Bluebell and Lance and gave a mental command to walk on. They started toward the bare forest across the field. Nikki looked between them and him as he picked up the reins, and then leaned back, placing her hands behind her head.

"I'm actually okay with that." He laughed, then she laughed, and their sound mixed with the bells and lifted into the winter air.


	19. Carol of The Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Thunderbolts doing Christmas simply must involve their violinist playing a classic. Said violinist is sort of crowd shy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M FINALLY ALL CAUGHT UP, HOORAY
> 
> Thank y'all for hanging in there with me while I put everything up hecking late. All questions are welcome and appreciated, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!

"Is there a way to play one-handed?" Abner asked.

"With telekinesis," Karla answered dismissively.

"Yeah, but what if…like, what if I could play violin-"

"I've heard you sing, and I plead that you do nothing with music but put it on and appreciate it," Karla cut in.

"Hey, you don't have the voice of an angel, either," Abner shot back.

"It's Christmas, guys, can we not have _one_ nice night?" Erik jumped in from where he was literally buried under three large, fluffy blankets. The other two Thunderbolts gave him a 'Stay out of it' glare, and he glared straight back at them.

"Can you all shut up? I'm focusing on useful things over here." Paul, sitting across the room and working on three different drones all at once, didn't even look up as he spoke.

"I ain't gonna play if y'all don't hush up!" Melissa interrupted, though it lacked any serious bite. She was still antsy about playing as a performance, rather than playing with other people in the room.

Abner, kicked back on the couch, settled into the seat. "Aw, Mel, we're just poking fun," he replied with a calm, comforting tone. Karla, sitting across form him, brandished a pillow as a warning.

Melissa shifted from foot to foot as she bright the violin to her chin. She fixed him with a look that she hoped would convey enough 'Don't taunt me or I won't do it' to make him stop. "You know I get nervous about paying in front of others."

"I'd figured you'd be _less_ nervous if it seemed like we weren't paying attention," he replied.

"I'm weird," Melissa 'explained.' Abner shrugged as an apology. "You wanna hear it or not?"

"Take it away, Lindsey Stirling!" Erik exclaimed. She smiled shyly at him.

"I'm nowhere near that good, but thanks for the complement." She took a breath, put the bow to the strings, and played.


	20. No Chimney? No Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santa does so much for everyone else, so Morgan wants to do something for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WILL GO BACK AND EDIT THIS ONE DAY SO KATE CAN BE IN IT, TOO, I SWEAR
> 
> But I'm actually tired, which is weird because I have several energy reserves and they've apparently all been drained, so...that day is not today, sorry.

"Daddy," Morgan asked as Tony tucked her in, "how is Santa gonna get in if there's no chimney?"

"He's a very clever guy," Tony assured her. "He'll find a way in." He kissed her forehead, made it to the doorway, and had his fingers on the light switch, when she spoke from where she was nestled safely beneath her blankets.

"We need to build a chimney."

"We…what?" Tony turned to look at her, and she was staring at her closet door, thinking deeply about the problem and its solution.

"We need to build a chimney so Santa Claus can come and get his cookies," she restated. Then she looked to him. "He deserves a reward for his hard work."

Tony leaned on the door, holding it in place with the hand still inside the room, and he smiled fondly at her. "Can't we leave them out on the helipad for them? It'd be pretty hard to build a chimney onto the Tower."

Morgan shook her head with all seriousness. "No, because if he doesn't come in through the chimney, it's breaking and entering, and that's bad."

Tony nodded, then walked back to her bed, sitting next to her. There was a twinkle in his eyes that only came with 'We don't tell Mommy' ideas, and Morgan grinned. "Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, you know how all chimneys are vertical?" she asked. He tilted his head.

"Kinda how they work."

"Daddy!" He laughed and held his hands up in surrender. "Well, that can't be fun to go down, so what I was thinking was…"

* * *

Pepper had just come back from a _long_ night at Star Industries. It was midnight, she was exhausted, but she knew she wasn't so tired that she was hallucinating things. Tony was sitting on the couch waiting for her, so she'd ask him. He was used to operating without sleep, and he'd definitely been in bed last night, so he'd still be lucid. "Tony, is that-"

"Yep," he answered before she finished, standing and walking over. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "Morgan and I built it so Santa could come and get his cookies without breaking and entering. And also because slides are fun."

Pepper shook her head and smiled. "She ought to design an amusement park," she mused.

"Hey, Pep, can I borrow that notepad?' he asked. She handed it over without asking why. "Can't let Santa come and go without leaving a nice note for Morgan and her slide."


	21. Snow Covered Skyline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has always been an artist, and there are few sights quite like New York at Christmastime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M PUTTING THIS UP AT 11:51, BUT IT'S GONNA FREAKING _**BE ON TIME**_!!!

The one really good thing about waking up 66 years into the future was Google. Any picture Steve wanted to draw was literally right at his fingertips, and every reference on the planet could be called up in an instant. Steve had a pile of sharpened pencils next to him, several sheets of blank paper spread out in front of him, Google to his left, and the New York skyline in front of him.

Across their shared room, Peggy sat at her desk, going over a thick stack of SHIELD files. She'd write on this or that, shuffle the files, move one to this stack, take one form that stack, and she didn't say a word. From Steve's side of the room, there was a steady, quiet noise of graphite leaving its mark on the paper, permeated every so often with the sound of mouse and keyboard clicking. It made for a lovely working environment for the both of them.

While Peggy cut down the stack of files with frightening efficiency, Steve was working on his latest art project. Christmas was just around the corner, and Steve's social media – because yes, he was now a 21st century man and he had an Instagram _only_ for his artwork and trolling the other Avengers – had been nothing but Christmas art. His artist side was simply spinning with ideas, which he'd been getting done in his spare time, but this project was the crowning one for the month.

It was a tribute to 70 years of New York Christmases. He had a picture pulled up for every skyline – several, actually – and he was busy putting them onto the paper with his own twist on each era. He'd already finished the 40s and 50s, had a couple rough drafts for the 60s, and was working on the 70s one. It was therapeutic, in a way, to reflect on the years he missed while frozen. It was a good application of his artistic skills and done in such a way that he could honor his old Brooklyn roots while looking forward to the future.

It was also a _really_ good excuse to get out of watching Hallmark movies with Jan. Yes, he loved Christmas; yes, he loved romance; yes, most of the time he loved Hallmark movies, no matter how dumb everyone else said they were. But she had a list, and she had to watch all the movies on that list, even if they weren't great, and there was only so much miscommunication a man could take.

So there he and Peggy sat for a good few hours, sketching and filing, enjoying each other's company without saying a word, as Steve slowly immortalized New York with his artistic touch.


	22. Home, but Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The parents are going out on a holiday trip, and the kids have house defense covered.

"Tin soldiers?" Morgan asked.

"Check," Leah answered.

Morgan scratched a box off. "Jacks?"

Leah tapped the stacks of boxes. "Check."

"Grease?"

"Three whole tubs of it."

Knock Out, walking by, heard the conversation and stopped short. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you two doing with those?" he demanded, striding up and looking over the concerningly large group of assorted items.

"We're burglar-proofing the house," Eva exclaimed excitedly, rocking backwards and laying on her back.

"Yeah, so no-one tries to rob us while everyone's out," Leah answered.

Knock Out counted to three and breathed in slowly. "You aren't going to be home alone, and you have JARVIS. He has far more advanced systems for dealing with intruders than you two rug-rats can dream up," he explained slowly.

"What happens is the power goes out?" Morgan challenged, pointing her pencil at him, looking _exactly_ like her mother. Knock Out had to shake myself a little to remind himself that this was Morgan, not a de-aged Pepper Potts-Stark, and he could argue with this Stark.

"The Tower doesn't run on the grid," he countered, crossing his arms.

"Maybe they're clever HYDRA thieves," Ali replied.

"Yeah, Aunt Jan had to fend them off one Christmas with a hairbrush," Leah concurred.

"No, that wasn't…" Knock Out pinched the bridge of his non-existent nose, reminded himself that he had to be responsible, and looked to the only person he could think of for backup. "Soundwave, a hand here?"

Soundwave didn't even look up. He simply turned the page of the book he was reading and replied, "I'm watching them."

"Primus save me… Fine, ruin the house however you please, but _don't prank me_!" His command was lost among the enthused cheers of the girls.


	23. It's not Christmas Till...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Christmas season is complete with a little bit of arguing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally posted this on time, I don't know what you're talking about.
> 
> (Sorry)

"It's not done yet!" Jan shouted, snapping her apron at Hank, who'd been trying to get into the oven. He backed off with a deep frown.

"It's been in there all day!" Hank argued. He followed her as she walked around the kitchen, checking this or that every time she did, even though he wasn't a cook or baker and had no idea if she was right or not concerning the cook time.

" _Low_ heat," she explained. "They've been warming all day, and they're cooking now. It's not the end of the world if they're a few minutes late."

"Can we at least have the potatoes?" Pietro asked, poking the warmer window. Jan slapped his hand with her oven mitt.

"Not till everything else is ready to eat! Geez, it's like y'all are starving," Jan grumbled.

"We are," Erik remarked. Melissa lightly smacked his arm with the back of her hand, a very clear 'do _not_ get involved.'

"Go have some chips to tide you over," Jan offered with no pity for their apparently dire situation.

"What about the rolls?" Pietro asked, hand hovering over the – very aesthetic – basket they were stacked in.

"Also no," Jan answered. "Just relax. It'll only be another…" She cracked the oven door and peered in at the turkey. "Half hour or so."

" _Ugh_ …" Hank whined.

Nikki, resting her head on her hands and her elbows on the table, muttered, "It's not Christmas till we're arguing about dinner." 


	24. Moment in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas photos are a tradition, even if the picture never turns out perfect.

"At the camera, please," Peggy said, though it didn't seem like a suggestion. Lean fixed the hem of her dress and poked her curls. Peggy noticed and fixed them after Leah messed with them, and as soon as her mother's back was turned, Leah messed with them again.

Beside Leah, Bucky's black Labrador stood, tongue hanging out in a big doggie smile, and he waged his tail at Bucky. "Sit… Lucky, sit…" Bucky coaxed. Lucky just kept smiling and wagging his tail. "I used to terrify people. The Winter Soldier was to be feared, and now I can't even get a dog to sit." Lidiya placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder and smiled fondly.

"Where's Percy?" Ashton, Steve and Peggy's older son asked, looking around for the missing tabby. "He has to be in the photo, too!"

"Go get him, dear, and make it fast or he won't be," Peggy answered, stopping in front of Steve. "Lemme straighten your tie here…"

"This monkey suit itches," he complained, pulling at his collar.

"It's the starch in your collar," Bucky replied. "If you'd let Tony just buy you a new suit…"

"And satisfy his prediction and therefore his ego?" Steve asked. "No thanks!"

"Next year, you will," Lidiya remarked, somewhat ominously. Bucky looked at her, as did Steve. Her soft, pink-painted Russian smile gave away no secrets.

"All right, everyone, let's get serious," Peggy announced taking her spot next to Steve.

"I thought we were supposed to smile," Bucky joked. Leah fluffed her curls, and Ash jumped into the frame, holding Percy against his chest with a tight enough grip that the obviously unhappy cat couldn't get away.

"Don't push it," Peggy warned. "3, 2, 1, say Merry Christmas!"


	25. Anything You Can Make, I Can Make Faster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little friendly holiday competition, Avengers style

"We're making _ornaments_ for the hospital kids. How did you turn this into a competitive sport?!" Pepper asked, waving her clipboard at Nikki and Tony.

"Because we have issues," Nikki answered shortly and simply.

"Ready?" Frenzy asked.

"I got my glitter glue, the stickers, and nimble fingers on fire!" Tony exclaimed. "Bring your best, Skylar!"

"You better bring yours, Stark, 'cause I'm not pulling punches," Nikki responded with a smirk.

Frenzy lifted a piece of green felt, and the two ornament-makers tensed. "Set…"

"Get back here!" Leah shouted. "Mom! He's got my Bucky Bear!" Pepper saw the incoming disaster and took several steps away. Nikki and Tony looked up to see Lucky bounding straight for them and their ornament station, carrying the aforementioned stolen item in his mouth, paying attention only to people and walls as things he could not knock over. He zipped straight between them, knocking over literally everything.

"Lucky!" Nikki shouted.

"Lucky, no!" Tony echoed. Leah dashed between them a moment later, also shouting at her uncle's pet and also not caring about the supplies she was running over.

Pepper sighed, somewhat relieved, and Lidiya strode up to stand beside her. "Well, there goes that idea."

"You're welcome," the Russian ex-assassin remarked. She turned and walked out, leaving only Pepper to watch her go while Nikki and Tony tried to salvage their failed competition.


	26. Welcome to 2020!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter!! Because why not!! Happy New Year's, y'all!

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked as he knocked on the door to Tony's lab.

"Hey, kid," Tony called. "Come on in. What's on your mind?"

"Well, it's New Year's, and I know we're staying in, which means we're gonna miss the confetti," Peter started.

"True, true." Tony looked up from what he was welding. "I'm guessing you wanna fix that?"

Peter smiled in response.

* * *

"All right, everyone get in front of the TV!" Jan ordered, trying to herd people over to it.

"I got a way better view of the _actual_ thing from here," Sam called from where he hovered over the helipad.

"Can everyone see it?" Wanda asked, looking around to make sure she didn't need to levitate anyone.

"Ready? Ten, nine, eight..."

Across the room, all the Avengers joined in, shouting out the numbers as the clock counted down the last seconds of the decade.

"One! Happy New Year!"

And on cue, the confetti cannon went off, showering everyone with the sparkles. There were cheers and whoops, and one very happy - and relieved - spider kid hanging from the ceiling. He lowered himself to everyone else's height, and Tony held up a hand.

"Good job, kid," he said as Peter high-fived him.


End file.
